Snow plow blade mounting structure



July 11, 1961 J. R. SUMNER ET AL 2,991,565

SNOW PLOW BLADE MOUNTING STRUCTURE Filed March 23, 1960 X! ial lllr ATTORNEY United States Patent M 2,991,566 SNOW PLOW BLADE MOUNTING STRUCTURE John R. Sumner and John W. Renahan, both of 965 Weston Road, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Filed Mar. 23, 1960, Ser. No. 17,137 3 Claims. (Cl. 37-42) This invention relates to snow plow blade mounting structures.

Snow plow blades, as mounted on the side of a motor vehicle, are usually provided with means for raising and lowering the blade. Such mounting means are of a generally rigid nature and do not permit tilting movement of the blade about its longitudinal axis. Thus, if an obstruction in the surface being plowed is encountered by the blade, damage to such surface or to the snow plow equipment frequently occurs.

It is an object of this invention to provide a snow plow blade mounting which will permit tilting movement of the blade about its longitudinal axis, which will automatically return the blade to normal upright position, and which is of simple and low cost manufacture.

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which- FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a snow plow blade mounting in accordance with the invention,

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the mounting, and

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged sectional elevation of a spring coupling for a blade supporting arm.

In the drawing, 1 is a motor vehicle having conventional forward and rearward upright posts 2 and 3 adapted to carry a side snow plow blade 4 of normal form.

The forward end of blade 4 is pivoted for perpendicular swinging movement at 5 to a plate 6 in close proximity or engagement with the rear surface of the blade. The plate (and blade) are tiltable about the longitudinal axis of the blade, i.e.,, a normally horizontal axis, by suitable means such as a pivot pin 7 carried by a pair of lugs 8 fixed to plate 6 and journalled in a block 9. The blade is also swingable in a horizontal plane about a pivot pin 10 carried by block 9 and journalled in a pair of lugs 11 fixed to a bracket or guide plate '12. It will be apparent that the coupling described between plate 6 and guide plate 12 is of universal joint type. The guide plate 12 is slidably mounted for vertical movement in post 2 in the usual manner.

A spring 13 connects the upper end of plate 6 with guide plate 12. The point of connection v14 of the spring plate 6 may be approximately vertically aligned with pivot pin 5.

The rearward end of blade 4 is carried by upper and lower rod assemblies 15 and 16 from post 3.

Rod assembly 15 comprises a tube or tubular portion 17 connected by a standard universal joint 18 to a flange 19 fixed to blade 4, and a rod 20 having one end telescopically received in tube 17 and its other end connected by a universal joint to a guide bracket 21 slidably mounted in post 3 in conventional manner. Rod 20 and tube 17 are coupled together by a spring 22 having one end fixed to the rod and its other end fixed to the tube. As shown, the spring connection to the rod or tube may comprise a screw-threaded sleeve 23 fixed to the rod or tube and on which the end portion of the spring may be threaded. A retaining pin 24 may be provided in one member 23 and which is adapted to shear under excessive load.

Rod assembly 16 comprises a tube or tubular portion 25 connected by a standard universal joint 26 to flange '19, and a rod 27 having one end telescopically received in tube 25 and its other end connected by a universal joint Patented July 11, 1961 to guide bracket 21. Rod 27 and tube 25 are coupled together by means of a sleeve 28 in rod 27 and a pair of U-shaped arms 29 each having one end fixed to sleeve 28 and its other end fixed to tube 25. Between sleeve 28 and the end of tube 25 is a collar 30 keyed to rod 27 by a pin 31. It will be apparent that, in response to an excessive load placed on rod assembly 16 in a longitudinal direction, pin '31 will shear.

It will further be apparent that, should the lower edge portion of the blade engage an obstacle of predetermined resistance, the blade will tilt about pivot 7 (i.e., substantially about its longitudinal axis) with the lower edge portion swinging rearwardly and the upper edge portion swinging forwardly, whereby the blade will ride over the obstruction or obstacle without undesirable damage either to the blade or other operating parts of the plow or the surface being plowed. However, such tilting movement will be against the action of springs 13 and 22 and thus, after passage over the obstacle, the springs 13 and 22 will automatically return the blade to its normal upright position.

We claim:

1. In combination with a snow plow blade having upper and lower edges, and forward and rearward ends, a mounting structure therefor comprising a first supporting bracket, a coupling connecting said bracket and said forward end and carrying said forward end, said coupling having a first pivot permitting pivotal movement of said blade about a first axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of said blade and a second pivot permitting pivotal movement of said blade about a second axis normal to said longitudinal axis, a resilient connection connected to said bracket and to said blade at a point located between said longitudinal axis and said upper edge of said blade,

said resilient connection being extensible to permit tilt ing movement of said blade in one direction about said first axis and acting to effect reverse tilting movement of said blade, a second supporting bracket, an upper rod assembly connecting said second bracket to the upper portion of said rearward end of said blade, and a lower rod assembly connecting said second bracket to the lower portion of said rearward end of said blade, each said rod assembly being telescopically movable to permit tilting movement of said blade about said first axis, said upper rod assembly having resilient means compressible to permit tilting movement of said blade in said one direction and acting to effect reverse tilting movement of said blade.

2. A mounting structure for a snow plow blade as defined in claim 1, including a plate pivotally mounted on the rear face of said blade adjacent said forward end, said coupling and said resilient connection being connected to said plate.

3. In combination with a snow plow blade having upper and lower edges and forward and rearward ends, a mounting structure therefor comprising a first supporting bracket, a plate pivotally mounted on the rear face of said blade adjacent said forward end, a coupling connecting said bracket with said plate and carrying said forward end, said coupling having a first pivot permitting pivotal movement of said blade about a first axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of said blade and a second pivot permitting pivotal movement of said blade about a second axis normal to said longitudinal axis, a spring connecting said bracket to said plate at a point located between said longitudinal axis and said upper edge of said blade, said spring being extensible to permit tilting movement of said blade in one direction about said first axis and acting to effect reverse tilting movement of said blade, a second supporting bracket, an upper rod assembly having telescopic members connecting said second bracket to the upper portion of said rearward end of said blade, a lower rod assembly having telescopic membersconnecting said second bracket to the lower portion of said rearward end of said blade, each said rod assembly being telescopically movable to permit tilting movement of said blade about said first axis, and a spring connecting said members of said upper rod assembly, said spring being compressible to permit tilting movement of said blade in said one direction and acting to eifect reverse tilting movement of said blade.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Gettelman Sept. 30,

Ross Feb. 4,

Frink Mar. 12,

Greer July 16,

Kaeser June 30,

FOREIGN PATENTS Sweden Jan. 7, 

